Tonight's picture was taken in July of 2003. It was our first trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Mattie never saw so much sand or heard the ocean before that trip! Mattie did not care for either. So we spent a lot of time out on the deck of the house playing with the hose. As Mattie had a fascination with the hose and spraying things down! That was Mattie! The entire week we were at the beach, we only visited the sand once! All that changed the following summer in 2004, Mattie loved sand time and the building and creating that came with it! What I learned from Mattie was he was going to do things on his own time line, not someone else's.
*** It was my hope to actually return to quotes! But in Washington, DC masks have been mandated again indoors, starting today. The reason I am recording Coronavirus numbers on the blog, is for historical purposes.
Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins.
- Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 34,964,685
- Number of people who died from the virus: 613,110
Another busy day on the FARM! This was the first day this week Peter had a chance to see the sanded and stained floors. He now totally gets what I mean.... the smell is toxic! Frankly it has dissipated since Monday, but it is still shocking to the senses!
I thought there was going to be wood particles all over the house from sanding the floors! But the company we selected has a fantastic sanding machine, with a bag attached to like. Not unlike a lawn mower. The sand gets sucked up into the bag and not all over the house! I wish I could say the same thing for the plaster dust. It is EVERYWHERE, as the painters had many ceilings and walls to repair.
Today I decided to concentrate on the second floor. I cleaned all the bathrooms and began vacuuming floors. I was able to get any flecks of paint off the floors, but tomorrow, I actually have to wash the floors because it is the only way to truly remove the plaster dust. Vacuuming was only the first step!
Tonight I share a letter that was written to us by our friend, Tad. To put it into context, Tad's son Kazu, and Mattie met in elementary school. They hit it off immediately and on the weekends they took swimming lessons together. The funny part about this was the pool was indoors, but the water was frigid. So the boys wore wet suits, like you would wear when scuba diving. I think Tad's letter reminds me that Mattie remains in the memory of all those he touched and his short life serves as an example to love in the here and now. Not to put off expressing feelings until tomorrow. Because in Mattie's case tomorrow did not come.
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Living Mattie Moments by Tad Ferris
I live Mattie moments all the time.
I look back when I first started to live these moments.
In my mind's eye, I see Mattie, bobbing up and down in the water in his swimsuit, selected carefully to protect his slender, active body and keep him as warm as possible, smiling next to my own son, also bobbing up and down in the water in his swimsuit, also selected carefully for warmth and protection. I hear Mattie's gentle "hi" as I walk up to Pete and Mattie, my son's gentle "hi" in response, as well as the welcome touch of Mattie's "hi five" on my hand as we enjoy the comfort of routine, the sound of Mattie and Kazu entering the water for swimming lessons, and the sight of loved friends.
The disease Mattie endured and that took his earthly form pains like a mortal wound. Yet I still SEE Mattie, every day. He awakes, rubs his eyes and looks at me each morning. He reassures me with the welcome touch of a "hi five" before running up the sidewalk to class. He breaks into a broad grin when I walk in the door. He then approaches me, I hug a lot more tightly than I used to, and he whispers a gentle wish when we talk about when we'll next be together. I see Mattie in my son, in Kazu's waking moments, in his reluctant steps toward independence, his every need for reassurance, in his bonds that can never be broken.
Everyone in this loving community, who has cared for or about a child, who has known Mattie, can see Mattie in every moment. It causes us to hold everything more dear. It teaches us to love without question. I wish all of us, more Mattie moments.
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